Viral Success:
As soon as he took over reigns from Venezuela’s iconic Hugo Chavez, the Twitter feed of highly controversial President Maduro went viral and has reached almost two million followers across the world

@NicolasMaduro Turns One Year Old on Twitter, with Almost 2 Million Followers, Including English, French and Portuguese Speakers

The Venezuelan Ministry of Communications and Information (MINCI) announced today that on March 17, the official Twitter account of President Nicolás Maduro turns one year old online with simultaneous accounts in different languages, including English.

Maduro Went Viral, Can You?

Take a look at Maduro’s Spanish-language blog and also at this information on Venezuela from the CIA:

Venezuela was one of three countries that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others being Ecuador and New Granada, which became Colombia). For most of the first half of the 20th century, Venezuela was ruled by generally benevolent military strongmen, who promoted the oil industry and allowed for some social reforms.

Democratically elected governments have held sway since 1959. Hugo CHAVEZ, president from 1999 to 2013, sought to implement his “21st Century Socialism,” which purported to alleviate social ills while at the same time attacking capitalist globalization and existing democratic institutions. His hand-picked successor, President Nicolas MADURO, continues CHAVEZ’s socialist programs.

Current concerns include: a weakening of democratic institutions, political polarization, a politicized military, rampant violent crime, overdependence on the petroleum industry with its price fluctuations, foreign exchange controls that discourage private-sector investment, high inflation, a decline in the quality of fundamental houman rights, and widespread scarcity of consumer goods.